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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27766195">Trouble Is</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenPlatypus/pseuds/QueenPlatypus'>QueenPlatypus</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Open Heart (Visual Novels)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Canon Compliant, Doctors &amp; Physicians, Ethics, F/M, Guilt, Hospitals, Nightmares, Overthinking, Remorse, Retirement, Suspension</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 22:40:56</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,798</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27766195</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenPlatypus/pseuds/QueenPlatypus</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Hailey told the truth about what happened to Mrs. Martinez. Now, she has to face the music. But now, Ethan can't help but feel like he let her down.</p><p>Set between Ch.14-15 in book 1.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ethan Ramsey/Main Character (Open Heart)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Trouble Is</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>So... I've been rereading OH again since nothing really interests me in the app right now. And... This fic came to mind! I hope you like it!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“An ethics hearing? Are you kidding?”</p><p>Ethan shuddered, quickly gripping the corner of his kitchen island to steady himself as he took in the news Harper just shared with him over the phone. It had been a few days since he quit Edenbrook, entering in early retirement as soon as he left the pavement. He could still remember how it happened. Naveen giving up and going home, Hailey comforting him in the parking lot, then Harper striding towards him in pure shock before he handed her his ID badge. Then… Hailey trying to block his way out.</p><p>“People need you… <em>I </em>need you.” She had said.</p><p>Ever since he quit, he spent his time at home, talking with his father over the phone, taking Jenner on walks a few times a day, but mostly reading medical journals to keep himself informed. Truth be told, when he saw his phone light up from a call from Harper, he thought she was calling to convince him to come back: which he already knew he wouldn’t. He couldn’t bear going back and fail anyone else again. So, when she started the conversation talking about <em>his </em>Rookie, he was all ears.</p><p>“She confessed, Ethan. My hands are tied.”</p><p>“Harper, just think about it! It’s just her first year, this could ruin her entire career!”</p><p>“She knows. She told me herself she wanted the chance to defend herself at an ethics hearing. And for now, she’s suspended.”</p><p>Ethan sighed, bringing his free hand to his hair for a second before gripping once again the counter.</p><p>“Alright… Then, you have to let me testify for her.”</p><p>“You know I can’t let you do that.”</p><p>“Why the heck not? Harper, she’s a good doctor! She can be great if…”</p><p>“She might be, yes. And I know you think she showed promise, but still… We have no way of knowing for sure. Besides… She made her bed. Now, she has to lie in it.”</p><p>“But…”</p><p>“As for you, the reason you can’t testify is because you are too biased.”</p><p>Ethan gulped.</p><p>“I saw the two of you together. I saw how you interact… It goes way farther than a simple attending-intern relationship, does it?”</p><p>“I… Harper, this isn’t what it looks like…”</p><p>“I think it is.”</p><p>He heard her sigh.</p><p>“Look, I couldn’t care less about whatever is going on between the two of you. What you do on your own free time only concerns you and even if we… have some history together, my stance has little to no importance here. But as the Chief of Medicine… I can’t let your personal feelings get in the way of what has to be a neutral testimony. You understand that, right?”</p><p>His knuckles turned white. He gripped the corner of his kitchen counter so hard to keep his frustration in, but being a doctor himself, he knew she was right. He exhaled.</p><p>“Why did you call me, then?” He asked.</p><p>“I thought you deserved to know.”</p><p>He nodded, the other side of the line was silent.</p><p>“I’m sorry… Duty calls. I have to get back to work. Have a great night, yeah?”</p><p>“Sure… You too.”</p><p>They hung up and Ethan finally let go of the counter.</p><p>“Dammit.” He muttered.</p><p>Putting his phone down, he bent, sighing heavily about what he had just learned. He kept the pose for a while, wondering if he should reach out to her and see how she was doing, but he convinced himself not to: doing so would just make Harper more right about his relationship with his… <em>No</em>, with Dr. Fisherman.</p><p>At his feet, he heard Jenner whimper. He looked down, seeing his dog looking at him with what looked like concern. Ethan sighed once more before lowering himself to pet her.</p><p>“Everything is fine, girl. You have nothing to worry about, okay?”</p><p>Jenner approached him, settling her head on his lap to try to comfort him still. He smiled slightly, kissing the top of her head.</p><p>“What would I do without you, huh?”</p><p>They stayed in this embrace for a moment before Ethan decided to get to bed and try to forget for a few hours what was going on all around him.</p><p>***</p><p>
  <strong>Everything around him was foggy and he currently wasn’t sure where he was or even where he was supposed to go. Saying that he was in a gray zone was ironic… but also true, he had to admit. </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Even so, Ethan kept going forward, thinking that by doing so, he would surely end up figuring out where the hell he was. </strong>
</p><p>“<em>Ethan…</em>”</p><p>
  <strong>He gasped upon hearing his name. He could swear he had already heard this voice. But… Who was it? </strong>
</p><p>“<em>Ethan…</em>”</p><p>
  <strong>He changed direction, heading towards the source of the voice. Still, he couldn’t see anything in all this fog, but he could feel he was, somehow, getting closer to it.</strong>
</p><p>“<em>Ethan.</em>”</p><p>
  <strong>This time, he turned around and froze upon seeing who was facing him, sadness across her features.</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>“Dolores?”</strong>
</p><p>“<em>You let me down</em>.”</p><p>
  <strong>“I… No… Dolores, I’m sorry. I promise I tried, I…”</strong>
</p><p>“<em>Trying wasn’t enough to save me</em>.”</p><p>
  <strong>He spun around, this time facing Naveen, disappointment apparent on his traits. Ethan could feel his pulse accelerating.</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>“Naveen… Please… If you just give me one more chance… More time… I would…”</strong>
</p><p>“<em>But don’t you see? I <strong>don’t</strong> have time</em>.”</p><p>
  <strong>He turned again, now seeing Hailey, anger in her eyes. He could feel the tears coming up.</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>“Rookie…”</strong>
</p><p>“<em>I’m not your rookie, anymore! I never will be again! I… I trusted you. You were supposed to teach me how to be the best doctor I could be!</em>” <strong>She said with a tone of reproach.</strong></p><p>“<em>I trusted you to save me</em>.” <strong>Added Naveen.</strong></p><p>“<em>I trusted you to keep me alive with my baby</em>.”</p><p>“<em>You ruined my life</em>.”</p><p>
  <strong>“No, please…” </strong>
</p><p>“<em>You failed us!</em>”</p><p>“NO!”</p><p>He opened his eyes as he felt his body surge forward. His breathing heavy, he clasped a hand on his chest, trying to calm himself down. His eyes were looking all around him, trying to get a feel of the real world he was returning to.</p><p>Once he finally calmed down, he put his head in his hands, understanding he just had a nightmare: and knowing himself, he knew this had to be the first of many. Wincing, he pushed his blanket aside, stepping on his floor to go to the kitchen. There, he turned on the lights, sitting down at his dining table and staring out his bay window. The city was lit up and he could see a few cars rolling in the night. He sighed, his mind going back again at the nightmare he just experienced: him facing his own mistakes, his own failures.</p><p>Because, he had to be honest with himself… He was the one to blame here. He wasn’t able to convince Dolores to give birth earlier to manage to save her life as well as her son who now had to grow up without any parent. He wasn’t able to find out what was going on with Naveen and now, he only had a few weeks left before he died too. As for Hailey… She wasn’t on the verge of death, but she was now in a position that would allow her once so promising career to do so.</p><p>He could’ve stopped it. He <em>should’ve </em>stopped it. But now… It was too late. Just like Harper had said a few hours prior about the intern: he had also made his bed. Now, he had to lie in it and face the consequences.</p><p>***</p><p>When the screen of his phone lit up with upcoming texts, he frowned. Everyone he knew in his life knew how much he dreaded texting. Ideally, he would prefer talking face to face, but when that was impossible for some reason, calling was the best alternative he could imagine.</p><p>But then, he saw who texted him and he understood why it happened. After all, even if him and Hailey had shared their contact info, he had never stated that he hated the act of texting. And even if he knew he shouldn’t see what she wanted to give her a chance at moving up and possibly saving herself from the sinking ship he had placed them in… Curiosity got the best of him and he opened the texts, reading them.</p><p>
  <em>Hi, Dr. Ramsey. I hope you’re well.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I’m sorry to bother you, but… I’m not sure if you heard. I decided to tell the truth about Mrs. Martinez. I’m suspended and there’s a hearing coming up. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Is there something you can do about it? I know it’s a stupid question, but… I really don’t think I can go through this without you. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Please, don’t ignore me. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>I meant what I said back at Edenbrook when you quit. It doesn’t change now that you’re gone.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I need you, Ethan. Please. </em>
</p><p>He read those messages for a few minutes, wondering about what to do. He knew that the right thing to do here was to ignore her and not respond. He shouldn’t even be in this position, right now. And if he had respected his own thoughts and ideals about it earlier, when he noticed she started to be around him more often… He wouldn’t.</p><p>At the start of the year, it was the same as always: he was their teacher and in no way could he get close to them. He was there to teach them, to push them to be the best version of themselves they could be on the field. Everything had to remain strictly professional, always. But then… She came around and, even if his mind screamed at him to not let her in… He wasn’t able to push her away. As much as he hated to admit it, there was something about her that made him want to know more about her and so, they got close within a few months.</p><p>He was aware of the fact that wasn’t appropriate. And when they were in Miami, lips locked together, he couldn’t shake the feeling that they were both going to get in a lot of trouble after it.</p><p>But what the heck. Even now, he couldn’t stay away from her. Frankly, he didn’t know if he would ever be able to.</p><p>“I guess trouble is a part of me…” He whispered.</p><p>He started to type.</p><p>
  <em>I hate texting.</em>
</p><p>He waited for a few seconds before indulging again in the act.</p><p>
  <em>If you want to talk, we’ll have to do it face to face. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Come to my house. I trust you still have my address from last time. </em>
</p><p>He put his phone down, stretching as he got up. Now… All he had to do was to wait for her to come here and… talk.</p>
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